The Underground Railroad eBook

The time arrived and Pete bade farewell to Slavery,
resolved to follow the North Star, with his pistol
in hand ready for action. After traveling about
two hundred miles from home he unexpectedly had an
opportunity of using his pistol. To his astonishment
he suddenly came face to face with a former master,
whom he had not seen for a long time. Pete desired
no friendly intercourse with him whatever; but he perceived
that his old master recognized him and was bent upon
stopping him. Pete held on to his pistol, but
moved as fast as his wearied limbs would allow him,
in an opposite direction. As he was running, Pete
cautiously, cast his eye over his shoulder, to see
what had become of his old master, when to his amazement,
he found that a regular chase was being made after
him. Need of redoubling his pace was quite obvious.
In this hour of peril, Pete’s legs saved him.

After this signal leg-victory, Pete had more confidence
in his “understandings,” than he had in
his old pistol, although he held on to it until he
reached Philadelphia, where he left it in the possession
of the Secretary of the Committee. Considering
it worth saving simply as a relic of the Underground
Rail Road, it was carefully laid aside. Pete
was now christened Samuel Sparrows. Mr. Sparrows
had the rust of Slavery washed off as clean as possible
and the Committee furnishing him with clean clothes,
a ticket, and letters of introduction, started him
on Canada-ward, looking quite respectable. And
doubtless he felt even more so than he looked; free
air had a powerful effect on such passengers as Samuel
Sparrows.

The unpleasantness which grew out of the mischief
done by the ox on George Matthews’ farm took
place the first of October, 1855. Pete may be
described as a man of unmixed blood, well-made, and
intelligent.

The coming of these passengers was heralded by Thomas
Garrett as follows:

THOMAS GARRETT’S LETTER.

WILMINGTON, 12 mo. 29th, 1854.

ESTEEMED FRIEND, J. MILLER MCKIM:—­We
made arrangements last night, and sent away Harriet
Tubman, with six men and one woman to Allen Agnew’s,
to be forwarded across the country to the city.
Harriet, and one of the men had worn their shoes off
their feet, and I gave them two dollars to help
fit them out, and directed a carriage to be hired
at my expense, to take them out, but do not yet
know the expense. I now have two more from the
lowest county in Maryland, on the Peninsula, upwards
of one hundred miles. I will try to get one
of our trusty colored men to take them to-morrow
morning to the Anti-slavery office. You can
then pass them on.